Texas Senate Committee Aproves “Transfer at Death Deed”

Earlier this week, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee approved the draft of a new statute entitled the Texas Real Property Transfer on Death Act (Senate Bill 462). You can review a draft of the bill here. This bill would create a procedure for a non-testamentary transfer of real property. In this case, non-testamentary means that it passes outside of someone’s will and avoids the entire probate process.

We don’t yet know if the bill will end up as a statute. If it does, it will go into effect on September 1, 2015. The potential statute contains a number of traps for the unwary. For example, the specialized deed authorized by the bill applies only to a person who owns real property as a joint tenant with right of survivorship. As currently written, the bill does not apply to an owner who is a tenant in common or an owner of community property with or without a right of survivorship. As currently written, Section 114.055 of the bill has some very specific requirements that must be complied with if this specialized deed is to be effective. It will also be important to be aware of the conditions that will revoke the deed, described in Section 114.057 of the bill. Interestingly, a contrary provision in a will does not revoke or supersede a transfer on death deed.

This bill has the potential to save people money because it allows the transfer of title to real property, in certain specified circumstances, without the expense of probating a will. On the other hand, the bill has very narrow circumstances in which it applies and there is a substantial chance that subsequent behavior may result in an inadvertent voiding of the transfer. If the bill makes it into law, it will be important to consult an attorney if you wish to use the “Transfer at Death Deed”.